A post about Postdoc

Lior Lehrs
Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research   en.jerusaleminstitute.org.il

The term “postdoctoral” (or “postdoc”) refers to the period of study and independent research that follows the receipt of a doctoral degree (PhD) – an important stage in academic life. This period might last anywhere from one to several years. A 2010 survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics (“Career Survey of PhD graduates”) revealed that one-third (33%) of PhD graduates in Israel pursued postdoctoral studies. Among men with PhDs, 35% pursued postdoctoral studies, compared with 31% of women. The highest percentage of postdoctoral scholars were recorded in the physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer science (33%), followed by the biological sciences (33%). A total of 11% of postdocs were in the social sciences and law, and 9% in the humanities.
The survey also indicates that nearly half of Israeli postdocs (48%) completed their postdoctoral studies in the United States, compared with 32% in Israel and about 3% in England. Almost half of the women postdocs completed their postdoctoral studies in Israel (48%), whereas among men the figure was only 23%. A review of postdoctoral studies by field of study reveals a significant difference between men and women. In the physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and computer science most of the postdocs were men (75%), while in the humanities most were women (58%). In the social sciences and law the distribution was 60% men and 40% women.
In 2014 the Central Bureau of Statistics in cooperation with Israeli universities collected data regarding PhD graduates enrolled in postdoctoral studies in Israel during that year. A total of 58% were Israeli postdocs and 42% were foreign. The academic institute with the highest percentage of postdocs in 2014 was the Weizmann Institute (29%), followed by the Hebrew University (21%) and Ben-Gurion University (13%). Among Israelis half were men, while among foreigners 70% were men. These data reinforce what the 2010 survey found: women, more than men, tend to pursue postdoctoral studies in their home countries. Among postdocs in Israel, 42% were 35 years old or younger, and 51% were in the 36-45 age range. In 2014 the highest percentages of postdocs in Israel were in the biological sciences (27%) and physical sciences (26%), followed by mathematics, statistics, and computer science (9%), and engineering and architecture (9%).
Many in Israel are concerned that postdoctoral scholars will remain abroad rather than return to Israel. The 2010 survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics reveals that 10% of PhD graduates who received their degrees between the academic years 1984-85 and 2007-08 resided abroad for three or more years. Among these the highest percentages were PhD graduates in mathematics (21%) and computer science (18%). In general it appears that among PhD graduates in the hard sciences, a higher percentage remain abroad for three or more years (14%) than among PhD graduates in the social sciences and humanities (4%). Among PhD graduates in the hard sciences and engineering, the percentage who remained abroad for a long time is higher for graduates of the Weizmann Institute (19%) and the Technion (17%), followed by graduates of the Hebrew University (14%). Among PhD graduates in the social sciences and humanities, the percentage who remained abroad for a long time is higher among graduates of the Technion (6%) and Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University (5%).

Translated by Merav Datan

A-Tur

Lior Lehrs

Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies 

 www.jiis.org

A-Tur is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem located on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. It is distinguished by having, and being surrounded by, many religious and historical sites of importance to the three religions, including the Church of All Nations, Al-Zawiya al-As’adiyaa, and the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery. Likewise, the neighborhood is a focal point for healthcare needs, with the hospitals of Al-Makassed, Augusta Victoria, and Amira al-Basma. 

The neighborhood (including the areas of the sub-neighborhoods Ash-Shayah and A-Sawaneh) has a residential population of 24,320 (as of the close of 2013). The overwhelming majority are Muslim, with a total of 80 Christian families. In 1945, towards the end of the British Mandate, A-Tur had a total of 2,800 residents, and in 1961, during Jordanian rule, it had 4,300 residents. Between the years 1967 and 2013 the population of the neighborhood increased by more than a factor of 4.5. A-Tur is considered one of the major neighborhoods of East Jerusalem in terms of population size. Only Beit Hanina (35,810 residents), the Muslim Quarter of the Old City (28,180), and Ras al-‘Amud (24,640) have larger populations. The median age for the neighborhood is 21 years, slightly higher than the average median age for all East Jerusalem neighborhoods (20). The Arab neighborhood with the highest median age is Abu Tor (25) and the one with the lowest is Sur Baher (16).

In economic terms, A-Tur is ranked in the third cluster of the city-scale Socio-Economic Index of the Central Bureau of Statistics (the lowest cluster is 1 and the highest is 20, based on the 2008 census). All the Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are in clusters 2-5, that is, in the lowest quartile. Only two areas are ranked in cluster 5: the neighborhood of Bab a-Zahara and the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. The average monthly per capita income in the neighborhood is NIS 1,783, comparable to the average for Arab neighborhoods (NIS 1,735). The average for the city is NIS 3,916 and the average for the country is NIS 5,190. The Arab neighborhoods with the highest average monthly income are Beit Safafa (2,321) and Bab –Zahara (2,089), while the area of “New Anata” (1,465) and the Shuafat refugee camp (1,481), both of which are beyond the separation wall, have the lowest income levels. 

On average, East Jerusalem residents of Arab neighborhoods aged 25-54 have 11 years of education. This is also the average for A-Tur, and is lower than the average for the country (13 years of education). Among A-Tur residents, 13% have an academic degree. This is lower than the average for Arab neighborhoods (17%) as well as the average for the city (28%) and the country (30%). 

* The analysis is based on data of the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Socio-Economic Index of the 2008 Census, and data from the JIIS Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem. 

Palestinian Residents of Jerusalem

Lior Lehrs

The events that took place in East Jerusalem during recent weeks have re-exposed the complex and explosive reality of relations between Jews and Arabs in the city and the tension between East and West Jerusalem. Against this background, let us look at the data relating to Palestinian residents in Jerusalem and the current situation in East Jerusalem.

According to data of the Central Bureau of Statistics, as of late 2012 the Palestinian population of Jerusalem numbered 300,200 residents, constituting 37% of the total population of Jerusalem (815,300). The relative size of this population group in the city increased from 26% in 1967, 28% in 1980, and 32% in 2000. The population comprises a vast Muslim majority (96%) and Christian minority (about 4%). East Jerusalem – that is the territory added to the city after June 1967 – has 297,900 Palestinian residents, who constitute 99% of the total Palestinian population of the city as a whole and 60% of the residents of East Jerusalem. In addition, East Jerusalem has 199,650 Jewish residents, constituting 40% of its population. The largest Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are Beit Hanina (34,800 residents), the Muslim Quarter (29,100 residents), Ras al-Amud (24,100), A-Tur (23,600), Shu‘afat (22,800), Jabal Mukaber (21,900), and Silwan (19,100).

Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have the legal status of residents of Israel, which includes rights to social security and national health insurance as well as freedom of movement throughout Israel. Yet they are not citizens and therefore have no right to participate in elections to the Knesset or to receive an Israeli passport. They do, however, have an affiliation with the Palestinian Authority: they have the right participate in elections to the Palestinian parliament, and their schools use the Palestinian educational curriculum.

The Palestinian population of Jerusalem is characterized by a young age structure, with a median age of 20.2 (compared with 25.9 among Jews in the city). The total fertility rate among Palestinian women is 3.6 children. In recent years this rate has been declining, having stood at 4.1 in 2006. Interestingly, the total fertility rate among Jewish women in Jerusalem is higher (4.3), as a result of the high overall fertility rate among ultra-orthodox women.

The poverty rates within the Palestinian population of Jerusalem are very high: 77% of families are below the poverty line, compared with 21% of Jewish families in the city. The rate of participation in the workforce among the Palestinians of Jerusalem stands at 67% for men and 14% for women (compared with 52% and 59% among Jews, respectively). The main economic sectors in which Palestinians are employed are wholesale and retail trade and repairs (21%), construction (13%), accommodation and food services (11%), and education (11%).

Source: 2014 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem

Translated by Merav Datan

Doctor in the house

Lior Lehrs 

Students enrolled in higher education in Israel follow one of four tracks: studies towards a certificate or diploma, bachelor’s degree studies, master’s degree studies, or studies towards a doctorate (PhD). Students pursuing a doctorate (doctoral students) write a doctoral thesis, upon conclusion of which they receive the title of “doctor.” 

During the 2011-2012 academic year there were 10,600 doctoral students in Israel, constituting 4.1% of the population of students in the country for this year. Across the years one can see an increase in the number of doctoral students in Israel: in 2011-2012 they numbered 1.6 times more than they had in 1999-2000, and 2.8 times more than in 1989-1990. At the same time, however, the data indicate that the percentage of doctoral students among all students has remained relatively consistent over the years, at 4-5%. 

In terms of gender, the ratio of women among doctoral students during 2011-2012 was 52%. This figure is lower than the percentage of women among master’s degree students (60%) or bachelor’s degree students (56%) for the same year. We observe a significant increase over the years in the percentage of women among doctoral candidates in Israel – from 31% during the 1980s to 39% during the 1990s and 50% during the first decade of the 2000s. 

The distribution of students by university indicates that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has the largest number of doctoral students. Data for 2009-2010 indicate that 25% of doctoral students were enrolled at the Hebrew University, 20% at Tel Aviv University, 17% at Bar-Ilan University, 11% at Ben-Gurion University, 10% at Haifa University, and the remainder at the Technion and Weizmann Institute of Science. At the same time, the data also indicate a decrease in the ratio of Hebrew University students among doctoral degree recipients compared to previous decades – from 37% in the 1980s to 30% during the 1990s and 25% the following decade. 

The most popular field of study among doctoral students in Israel (during 2011-2012) was the natural sciences and mathematics (38% of students), followed by the humanities (25%) and social sciences (14%). Among doctoral students at the Hebrew University (according to 2009-2010 data), the most popular fields of study were the biological sciences (24%), social sciences (13%), agriculture (11%), and physical sciences (11%). 

Source: Analysis of data from the Central Bureau of Statistics

“All the News That’s Fit to Print”

Lior Lehrs

The printed media throughout the world and in Israel is in a state of crisis these days as a result of developments taking place in the field of communications and on the Internet. At the same time, some argue that it would be premature to eulogize the printed media and that it is still popular and capable of accommodating itself to a changing reality.

According to data of the Central Bureau of Statistics for 2011, 78% of Jerusalemites (age 20 and above) reported that they had read newspapers, magazines, or journals during the previous year. This figure is lower than the national average (84%) or the figures for Tel Aviv (87%), Haifa (88%), and Rishon LeZion (88%). Among Jerusalemites who had read newspapers, 66% reported that they had read newspapers in Hebrew, 26% in Arabic, 4% in Russian and 4% in English. Interesting to point out that the figure of Russian readers in Jerusalem is lower than the national average (9%) but the figure of the English readers is higher than the national average (1%).

What types of articles do Jerusalemites tend to read? Sixty percent of Jerusalemites who had read newspapers responded that they tend to read articles about news, politics, and current affairs. This figure is lower than the national average (66%) or the figures for Tel Aviv (72%), Haifa (73%), and Rishon LeZion (68%). Among Jerusalem’s newspaper readers, 25% reported that they read articles about economics. This figure is also lower than the national average (30%) or the figures for Tel Aviv (44%), Haifa (37%), and Rishon LeZion (36%). In contrast, the percentage of Jerusalem’s newspaper readers who habitually read articles about the Torah, Judaism, and religion (23%) is higher than the national average (12%) or the figures for Tel Aviv (6%) and Haifa (5%). Moreover, among Jerusalem’s newspaper readers, 25% reported that they read articles about physical and mental health, 15% reported reading articles about sports, and only 4% said that habitually read the gossip columns.

Interestingly, according to data of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the percentage of Palestinians in the Jerusalem district (age 10 and above) who reported that they read newspapers (45%) is higher than the figure for the West Bank (39%) or the Gaza Strip (19%). PCBS data also indicates that the percentage of newspaper readers among Palestinian women in the Jerusalem District (47%) is higher than the percentage among Palestinian men in this district (43%). 

Source: Analysis of data of the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics

Workers of the World Unite?

Lior Lehrs

The Histadrut Klalit (General Federation of Laborers) was established in 1920 as a cornerstone of the path to statehood, and to this day it has remained the largest workers’ union in Israel. In 1930, Histadrut Ha’Ovdim HaLeumit (the National Labor Federation) was also established, and in 2007 yet another workers’ organization, named “Power to Laborers,” was founded after criticism was voiced about the functioning of the Histadrut Klalit. The purpose of these workers’ unions was to protect workers’ rights, take measures to improve employment conditions, and conduct negotiations over collective agreements.

According to data of the New Histadrut Klalit (from March 2012), the organization has a total of 660,187 members. The Jerusalem region has 66,537 registered Histadrut members, constituting 10% of the total membership. This percentage is double the figure for the Tel Aviv region (5%) and Rishon LeZion region (5%) – a discrepancy that we can probably attribute to the higher percentage of public-sector workers in Jerusalem compared to these cities. The portion that the region of Haifa, known as the “City of Laborers,” contributes to Histadrut membership is comparable to that of Jerusalem, at 9% of all members.

The Histadrut comprises several professional unions. The largest union is the Union of Local Authorities (15% of Histadrut membership), followed by the State Employees’ Union (12%), and workers in agriculture, chemistry, and security (9%). In contrast, professions with the lowest unionization figures include those engaged in creation and expression (1 Histadrut member), communications workers and artists (3 members), and dental hygienists (7 members). The data indicate that 71% of Histadrut Klalit members were born in Israel, while 20% are long-time immigrants and 9% are new immigrants. Distribution by age indicates that 24% of Histadrut members are young people up to age 34, while 52% are in the 35-59 age range, and 19% are 60 and older.

During the Histadrut elections of May 2012, a total of 66.6% voted for Ofer Eini as chairman, compared to 33.3% for Eitan Cabel. In the Jerusalem region support for Ofer Eini measured 69.1%. In Jerusalem the rate of support for Eini’s list for the Histadrut council (68.3%) was higher than the national average (64.9%) as well as the rates of support in the regions of Tel Aviv (56.7%), Haifa (62.7%), and Rishon LeZion (64.1%).

 

Source: Data of the New Histadrut Klalit

The Cellular Spring

Lior Lehrs 

The first cellular phone company began operating in Israel in 1986, and since that time the mobile phone appears to have significantly changed our lifestyle. The cellular communications market in Israel has recently been placed on the public agenda following a series of reforms and changes in this area that are intended to increase market competition and lower prices for the consumer. 

According to data of the 2010 social survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics, 91% of Israel’s residents had a mobile phone. This figure compares to 85% in 2006 and 77% in 2002. The percentage of mobile phone owners in Jerusalem was identical to the national average (91%) and slightly lower than the figure for Tel Aviv (92%), Haifa (93%), and Rishon LeZion (96%). The survey results indicate that the percentage of Jerusalem residents who made use of other functions of the mobile phone was lower than the percentage for other major cities in Israel. For example, the data indicate that the percentage of Jerusalemites who sent a text message during the month preceding the survey (among mobile phone owners) was 54%, compared to 79% among Tel Aviv residents and 66% in Haifa. The results were consistent for Internet use through the mobile phone: 12% in Jerusalem, as opposed to 23% in Tel Aviv and 21% in Haifa. Regarding camera use through the mobile phone, the results were 44% in Jerusalem, as opposed to 58% in Tel Aviv and 52% in Haifa. 

The data indicate that a correlation exists between level of religious observance and possession of a mobile phone in Israel. Within the Jewish population, the percentage of cell phone owners among the secular (95%) was higher than the percentage among the traditional religious (91%), the religious (90%), or the Haredi (86%). Within the non-Jewish population as well, the percentage of mobile phone owners among the non-religious (92%) was higher than among the religious (90%) or very religious (67%). Analysis by age group also reveals differences. For example, within the age group of 20-44 years, the percentage of mobile phone owners exceeded 95%. Among those aged 65-74 years the percentage was 81%, and for those aged 75 and above the percentage was 61%. 

Statistical source: Analysis of data from the social survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics

The Educational System of Jerusalem

Lior Lehrs

Jerusalem’s educational system reflects the city’s diverse population and comprises three principal sectors: national and national-religious education, which is managed by the Jerusalem Education Administration within the Municipality (JEA); municipal Arab education, which includes official educational institutions and recognized but unofficial institutions that operate according to the educational curriculum of the Palestinian Authority (also managed by the JEA); and ultra-orthodox educational institutions managed by the Haredi educational division within the Municipality.

According to data from the Jerusalem Municipality, in the 2011-2012 academic year the city’s municipal educational system has 224,650 students. Of these, 43% attend Haredi educational institutions, 31% attend municipal Arab educational institutions, and 26% attend national and national-religious institutions. These statistics do not include students receiving a private Arab education, whose total is estimated at approximately 20,000.

Among students in grades 7-12 (middle and high school), a total of 37% receive a Haredi education, 33% receive a municipal Arab education, and 30% receive a state or state-religious education. At the elementary school level, by comparison, the figure for Haredi students is close (38%), slightly higher for Arab students (38%), and lower for national and religious-national students (24%). Among kindergarten children, the percentage receiving a Haredi education is particularly high – 48% – as compared to the figures for municipal Arab education (28%) and national or national-religious (24%). The percentage of Haredi children in kindergarten is especially high because it is affected by the relatively low percentage of Arab children, many of whom do not attend the municipal kindergartens. A separate analysis of students in the national education system reveals that their percentage decreases in accordance with the following age groups: they represent 19% of the city’s high school students, 15% of junior high school students, 12% of elementary school students, and 10% of kindergarten children.

An analysis of trends over the past 10 years (compared to the 2000-2001 academic year) reveals that the most significant change occurred within the municipal Arab educational sector, where the number of students increased by 126%. This change resulted from the Ministry of Education’s increased recognition of private Arab schools in Jerusalem as “recognized but unofficial institutions,” the construction of new classrooms, which increased the capacities of the schools, and natural population growth. During the same period, the number of students receiving a Haredi education increased by 30%, and within the national and national-religious sector there was a 12% decrease.

Source: Analysis of data of the Municipality of Jerusalem